Can the time of interview affect a visa approval?

[Honey&Bunny 12]

I have been reading pretty much every single U.S. embassy review in Santo Domingo, DR, and it seems to me that approvals were granted to people that appointments between 6:45 am, and 8:00 AM. Am I on to something here, or is it just pure coincidence? I heard that most of these visas are either approved or denied before one even gets to see the consular officer, and then it is up the CO to change the status of that.. Maybe I am just thinking too much, but it seems kind of odd that the time is so precise ????.

[TBoneTX 45,319]

*** Thread moved from CR-1 Process forum to the Embassy/Consulate forum -- topic involves that phase. ***

[Moderator hat off]

At least some consulates certainly have a system, such as getting straightforward-appearing interviews out of the way first and then scheduling tougher interviews (Stokes or projected to be Stokes). It was that way at the hellhole Guayaquil consulate in our day.

The consuls certainly do have a picture in mind of whether they'll grant or refuse the visa. This is why front-loading of petitions is so often recommended when the visa interview will be at a tough or high-fraud consulate. This is also why it's so valuable for the petitioner to be on or around the consular premises for such interviews. When the beneficiary hands the petitioner's U.S. passport to the consul as a first action, it can turn a decent case into a slam-dunk approval, turn a middling case into a strong case, and give a projected denial a fighting chance. It can even result in the petitioner's being invited into the interview. The goal is to solidify the bona fide nature of the relationship.

Santo Domingo (uniquely, to my knowledge) apparently requires up-front that the petitioner be present for the first interview.

Consuls are only human, believe it or not, and they might be fresher and more receptive in the mornings, versus being jaded and worn down by poppycock stories from flim-flam artists as the day proceeds.

The above are general observations; those who have gone through Santo Domingo can comment specifically.

[Honey&Bunny 12]

Thanks, I was just curious because I hear sooooo many versions, and believe me, I am trying to block out any negative information, but sometimes is hard. It is my nature to feel overloaded... This information helps ?

[TBoneTX 45,319]

You asked an excellent question.

[ktered 4]

We interviewed in SD in January 2015 on the same day (coincidentally) as our friends. We did not get called up for our interview until between 11 and 12 and we were approved (both couples) with no problems. Because of the holidays my fiancé's medical exam wasn't there yet so we had to wait for that but we were approved at the time of the interview although my fiancé answered one question wrong (thankfully our interviewer understood and rephrased for him).

The day was long but in the end they were very nice. I should write my review - I forgot!

Good luck!